Shock target named as Jose Mourinho plotted January deal

Jose Mourinho wanted Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles in January prior to his sacking at Manchester United, according to a report.

Mourinho was hunting for a central defender all last summer, but failed to get hold of one and he had drawn up a list of targets for January before he was axed at Old Trafford.

Mourinho was sacked by United before Christmas with the team in sixth position, 11 points adrift of the top four, after a slow start to the season with the Portuguese boss making several hints about not being able to bolster his squad.

Now ESPN claim Mourinho was impressed with Lascelles’ form and was pondering making a move for the 25-year-old before he got the bullet.

Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic were all rumoured to be targets with Fiorentina chief Pantaleo Corvino claiming they flatly rejected a January offer for Milenkovic. 

However, Lascelles’ named on United’s radar is certainly a surprise, although the Magpies may have got wind of the idea because the former Nottingham Forest man penned a new six-year contract in November.

Mourinho was desperate for a centre-back despite having adding Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof to his squad during his two-and-a-half years at Old Trafford.

United reportedly had interest in Leicester’s Harry Maguire, Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin, Colombia international Yerry Mina and Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng last summer, but United failed to get a deal over the line.

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